Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder Shivpal Singh Yadav on Saturday filed his nomination papers from Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency.

The Firozabad constituency is set to witness an interesting battle of ballots within the Yadav family for the first time, as ‘Chacha’ Shivpal is pitted against his ‘Bhatija’ Akshay Yadav, the son of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav.

Shivpal reached his party office in Firozabad at 11 am and after performing pooja at the Balaji temple at Shikohabad, proceeded to the district collectorate to file his nomination papers. He was accompanied by the leaders of his party and also of Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal is still the SP MLA as he has neither resigned from the part nor from the membership of the state assembly. He represents Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district in the assembly.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav has initiated proceedings for his disqualification from the membership of the assembly under the anti-defection law.

Addressing a public meeting after filing the nomination papers, Shivpal dismissed the challenge from the SP candidate. “My party is fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the entire state and will defeat them and in Firozabad,” he said, adding that his direct contest was with the BJP.

“The people of Firozabad constituency are fighting on my behalf and SP candidate Akshay Yadav is nowhere in the contest,” Shivpal claimed.

Claiming that he had the blessings of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal said Netaji would win by a landslide margin from Mainpuri seat.

Marginalised in the Samajwadi Party which he founded with Mulayam Singh Yadav 25, years ago, Shivpal Singh Yadav floated his party some months back.